Dean's Newsletter

SNS Newsletter

Fall

A lot happened this summer.....here are just a few of our faculty's achievements
GRANTS
Hrant Hratchian
CAREER: Development of Efficient Spin Projection Models for Applications to Transition Metal Catalysis
National...

SNS filled two endowed chairs this summer, honoring faculty members who are making important contributions in their fields.
Professor Clarissa Nobile is the new Kamangar Family Chair in Biological Sciences. The Kamangar family’s gift supports...

Thanks to the efforts of dedicated faculty, staff and students, another cohort of local elementary, middle and high schoolers spent their summer receiving immersive, hands-on educational experiences in STEM on the UC Merced campus. Some of the many...

Joyce Yowell isn’t a stranger to most faculty at the School of Natural Sciences. As a Research Administrator for the School, she is a key player in submitting proposals and managing award funding. Her work days are filled with...

When Celso Lopez volunteered to help at the 2017 commencement ceremony, he didn’t know that he would be the flag bearer. “It was an amazing experience to lead the school through the precession and to see the crowd as we made our way...

Spring

Congratulations soon-to-be graduates! You're a day away from finally graduating! You’re almost free! But what happens now?
Graduating can be one of the most satisfying and stressful times in your life. We asked a few...

Each semester the School of Natural Sciences recognizes exceptional graduating students by presenting them with an ‘Outstanding Student Award.’
Students are nominated and selected by the faculty who oversee their major....

A soon-to-be Biological Sciences graduate shares thoughts about her time at UC Merced
SNS Undergraduate, Whitney Williams
Thinking back over the past four years, and to the future with graduation approaching, I can only...

It's been another busy semester for SNS faculty. Here are just a few of their achievements.
PUBLICATIONS
Dr. Jessica Blois, co-author. Understanding ecological change across large spatial, temporal, and taxonomic scales: integrating...

Winter

Students and the House Fellow from Carson House Come Together for Study Hour
After a recent cleanup day at Lake Yosemite and UC Merced’s Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve, students met to discuss the types of trash...

Each semester the School of Natural Sciences recognizes exceptional graduating students by presenting them with an Outstanding Student Award.
Students are nominated and selected by the faculty who oversee their major. Awardees are selected based on...

SNS Graduate Student Alex Quijano
Growing up, Alex Quijano loved the idea of building and fixing things and wanted nothing more than to be a carpenter. That ambition lasted “until college when I realized I don’t...

A lot happened last fall...here are just a few of our faculty's achievements.
Grants
David Strubbe and Aurora Pribram-Jones
In partnership with Livermore Lab, Morehouse College, and Florida A&M University, formed the Consortium...

SNS Associate Professor Jessica Blois
Jessica Blois, Associate Professor in SNS’ Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, has been studying organisms in the grasslands and vernal pools since she arrived at UC Merced...

2018

Fall

The SNS community was deeply saddened when former faculty member, Jinah Choi, passed away on August 28th. Here she is remembered by Founding Faculty members, Rudy Ortiz and Henry Jay Forman.
Unfortunately, our dear friend and colleague,...

School of Natural Sciences T-shirts Donated to a Second Grade Class in Oklahoma are Worn Proudly During the School's "College Pride" Mondays
T-shirts from the School of Natural Sciences made it all the way to an...

Meet Vanessa Ortega, Front Desk Specialist of the Dean's Office Suite
As you walk into the School of Natural Sciences Dean’s suite in search of an administrator, a copy machine, or leftover snacks, it’s likely...

School of Natural Sciences’ efforts at promoting diversity and academic excellence in STEM education received a boost this summer when two prestigious grants were awarded to SNS faculty. Together, these studies aim to improve retention...

Mark Your Calendars for These Upcoming Events That You Won’t Want to Miss!
October 4th
School of Natural Sciences All Hands Faculty and Staff meeting. 2:00pm-3:30pm in the California Room, UC Merced Main Campus.
October...

We Are Pleased to Welcome and Introduce the School of Natural Sciences’ Newest Faculty Members
Daniel Beller
Assistant Professor
Physics
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Beller’s research centers...

SNS Faculty Were Busy this Summer. Here Are a Few of Their Many Achievements...
Anna Beaudin was named a Pew Biomedical Scholar and was listed on the Merced Sun-Star’s “20 Under Forty” list of locals who are...

Erik Olstad, Class of ‘08
After graduating in 2008 with a degree in Biological Sciences, Erik Olstad went on to become the first alum of UC Merced’s School of Natural Sciences to attend veterinary school. Erik was...

Spring

Serving the local community is a key mission of the University of California, Merced. The School of Natural Sciences’ faculty and students are certainly committed to doing their part.
The Merced City School District recently opened the...

The School of Natural Sciences recently celebrated our Outstanding Student Awards during a reception on April 20, 2018. The students from each of our majors were selected by the faculty and celebrated for their academic and personal achievement....

RadioBio and its President Kinsey Brock were big winners at the 2018 Leadership Awards. Ms. Brock was awarded Organization President of the Year, and RadioBio was honored with the University Friends Circle Community Service Organization Award. So...

The School of Natural Sciences is pleased to announce our new Living Learning Communities, launching in Fall 2018.
Residential learning communities across the country have proven to increase student success in two ways. First,...